Sony quietly slashes 100 US jobs in makeover
updated 04:50 pm EST, Fri February 3, 2012
Part of plan to make US operation more competitive
Sony Electronics, the US operation of the Japanese consumer products giant, quietly has been reducing its payroll. AllThingsD reports that, over the past few weeks, the company has cut approximately 100 workers from its sales force. The move is claimed to be part of both the expected effort to improve a profit and, more uniquely, to realign its structure to bring its employees closer to its customers.
The cuts have been part of a program that Sony calls “Fit for the Future.” It began last spring when Sony launched a new store concept in LA. The company has now rolled out the design in four other locations. As part of its effort to build a stronger bond with its customer base, Sony is also placing more workers inside third-party retailers and and increasing its social media plans. It's unlikely that the recent layoffs will be the last ones.
The action isn't related to Sony's formal announcement on Wednesday that it would be promoting its Executive Deputy President, Kaz Hirai, to the position of CEO effective April 1. He's expected to cut costs and otherwise restructure Sony to turn it around after a roughly $1.2 billion loss.
